Transfer Portal '23-'24 Offseason

[RedbirdSoxFan]

If you've not been to a bowl game, they are fun times. Even the lower tier bowls. I have been to a few. The Rose Bowl (back in the late 70's when I lived in LA and it was really "The Grandaddy of them all" as Keith Jackson used to say! All the way to the Motor City Bowl at the old Silverdome when I lived outside Detroit. I had a great time at all of them. I can plan for one game around work and family but travelling to several playoff games just is not going to happen. The location of the bowl can make it a great trip as well. Not always, say like in Detroit but some nice places. Yep, for just one game in Tucson...I am in. I would make a trip to Tucson for a bowl game probably before I would travel to Fargo in December for a real FCS playoff game. I lived in Illinois for a couple decades and have already seen snow. Just my personal outlook but none of it matters. ISU is not going to leave FCS.

I attended the 1986 Holiday Bowl when I was living in San Diego. The excitement of the game was on the same level as the game in Frisco. Only difference would be the almost 60,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium as opposed to the 20,000 in Frisco.
As for the game, San Diego State (14 point underdog) led by 8 at halftime. Than scored early in the 3rd quarter to go up 15. Iowa eventually took the lead in the 4th quarter. With under a minute left in the game San Diego State took a 36-35 lead on a field goal. But the Hawkeyes returned the kickoff about 45 yards. Iowa would kick a long field goal on the last play of the game to defeat San Diego State 39-38. Definitely one of the most exciting games I have attended. San Diego State playing on their own home field in front of their hometown fans made it even more exciting. It was all great until the last play of the game.

 

[topiarydan]

I attended the 1986 Holiday Bowl when I was living in San Diego. The excitement of the game was on the same level as the game in Frisco. Only difference would be the almost 60,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium as opposed to the 20,000 in Frisco.
As for the game, San Diego State (14 point underdog) led by 8 at halftime. Than scored early in the 3rd quarter to go up 15. Iowa eventually took the lead in the 4th quarter. With under a minute left in the game San Diego State took a 36-35 lead on a field goal. But the Hawkeyes returned the kickoff about 45 yards. Iowa would kick a long field goal on the last play of the game to defeat San Diego State 39-38. Definitely one of the most exciting games I have attended. San Diego State playing on their own home field in front of their hometown fans made it even more exciting. It was all great until the last play of the game.

Plus I would say NDState was about 65% of that 20000 - The new Power 5 approach and BCS going to 12 is going to cause FBS teams to not play FCS teams in future - so circle your Oklahoma and Iowa games because will be last times unless we move up to FBS level.

 

[fourthandshort]

Bowl Games are the most unique playoff structure .. I believe FBS is the only one that does this and is even morphing it into a tru playoff .. jumping from 4 to 12 teams next season. So while I love certain traditions and what they do for any sport, Bowl series was never a good way to determine a champion until we started doing the 4 team playoff, soon to be 12 team playoff.

I'll take the 24 team FCS playoff over any other playoff .. college or pro's. For me, the playoff ratio of qualifying teams is perfect ... 24 of 128 this season ... so 1 in 5, or the top 20%-ile, putting aside the weak autobids. FBS finally is going to have a real playoff with 12 teams, and I agree that may be a good maximum, as FBS plays 1 more reg season game than FCS. Pro's keep adding more teams ... just seems to watered down ... but the $$ rule the day, as it keeps more teams in the hunt for more games and sold tickets.

But I love the FCS structure (sans weak autobids) ... 16 teams playing into the top 8 seeds, and finishing it from there. Even the hosting until Natty makes sense to me. That aspect is same as NFL.

 

[Total Red]

The new Power 5 approach and BCS going to 12 is going to cause FBS teams to not play FCS teams in future - so circle your Oklahoma and Iowa games because will be last times unless we move up to FBS level.

I'll take that bet. Alabama and many other FBS teams play an FCS game. Why would they change when it becomes easier to make the playoffs?

 

[fourthandshort]

Plus I would say NDState was about 65% of that 20000 - The new Power 5 approach and BCS going to 12 is going to cause FBS teams to not play FCS teams in future - so circle your Oklahoma and Iowa games because will be last times unless we move up to FBS level.

Not sure if NDSU was 65% .. we hade estimated 4k. Maybe you also have a split for fans not loyal to NDSU or ISU. Otherwise, they were closer to 80% I think.

Anyone else have a stronger sense of our Redbird Frisco attendance ... I was there and did some visual math, along with others surmising at time. Plus NDSU did a really cool full stadium panoramic, so 3-D .. which I scanned .. (could have counted actually , but didn't).

Anyway, this is how I came up with 4k estimated Redbird fans .. which was almost as many as attend our 1st round UNI playoff game that year .. 5,575 less a decent UNI fan turnout. So we were below 5k that UNI home playoff game on Dec 6th.

 

[ISUBU]

Not sure if NDSU was 65% .. we hade estimated 4k. Maybe you also have a split for fans not loyal to NDSU or ISU. Otherwise, they were closer to 80% I think.

Anyone else have a stronger sense of our Redbird Frisco attendance ... I was there and did some visual math, along with others surmising at time. Plus NDSU did a really cool full stadium panoramic, so 3-D .. which I scanned .. (could have counted actually , but didn't).

Anyway, this is how I came up with 4k estimated Redbird fans .. which was almost as many as attend our 1st round UNI playoff game that year .. 5,575 less a decent UNI fan turnout. So we were below 5k that UNI home playoff game on Dec 6th.

I was there, remember the crowd and enjoyed picking myself out in the panoramic photo. I think we had more there than it looked like. A lot of Redbird fans mix some red with black. And not many of us dress boastfully. That is not the case with NDSU fans. Those green and yellow colors are much brighter and pop more than our red.

I visited some Dallas spots the day before. I didn't really think to wear any Redbird gear that day, but ran into a good number of Bison fans in yellow. I've learned to represent better.

 

[fourthandshort]

I was there, remember the crowd and enjoyed picking myself out in the panoramic photo. I think we had more there than it looked like. A lot of Redbird fans mix some red with black. And not many of us dress boastfully. That is not the case with NDSU fans. Those green and yellow colors are much brighter and pop more than our red.

I visited some Dallas spots the day before. I didn't really think to wear any Redbird gear that day, but ran into a good number of Bison fans in yellow. I've learned to represent better.

at some point back in 2015, I was thinking closer to 4,500 in Frisco Natty .. which would have been very close to the UNI playoff game .. I mean, very close. Some thought UNI fans had close to 800+ of the 5,575. Which is amazing to think those 2 ISU fan counts would be close. I mean, we were a 5 seed, ranked top 10 most of the latter half of season.

On a related note, I was at all 4 playoff games. We had weak showings at EWU and UNH road games. Then just surprised everyone, including NDSU fans with our showing at Frisco. And I recall a very emotional Spack when they did the bus walk to stadium .. he was overwhelmed with the showing. I won't say tears, but let's just agree his allergies were off the charts just during that walk up.

 

[MadBird]

I'll take the 24 team FCS playoff over any other playoff .. college or pro's. For me, the playoff ratio of qualifying teams is perfect ... 24 of 128 this season ... so 1 in 5, or the top 20%-ile, putting aside the weak autobids. FBS finally is going to have a real playoff with 12 teams, and I agree that may be a good maximum, as FBS plays 1 more reg season game than FCS. Pro's keep adding more teams ... just seems to watered down ... but the $$ rule the day, as it keeps more teams in the hunt for more games and sold tickets.

But I love the FCS structure (sans weak autobids) ... 16 teams playing into the top 8 seeds, and finishing it from there. Even the hosting until Natty makes sense to me. That aspect is same as NFL.

I've done a few early round games in the DIII playoffs, but never the championship/Stagg Bowl. Currently 28 auto bids to conference champs and only 4 at large bids. Makes for some truly bad first round matchups from weak champs (this year 65-0, 56-14, 62-7 in first round, there was 46-0 and 71-18 second round this year). The "crap shoot" of FCS at-large bids can seem arbitrary, but there's more room for decent non-champs to get a shot. St. John's travels very well, so the visitors side in a stadium seating 5-6000 can fill up pretty nicely. Whitewater seats 12K or so, but only a couple thousand on the visitors side. Whatever, college playoffs are fun.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

I attended the 1986 Holiday Bowl when I was living in San Diego. The excitement of the game was on the same level as the game in Frisco. Only difference would be the almost 60,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium as opposed to the 20,000 in Frisco.
As for the game, San Diego State (14 point underdog) led by 8 at halftime. Than scored early in the 3rd quarter to go up 15. Iowa eventually took the lead in the 4th quarter. With under a minute left in the game San Diego State took a 36-35 lead on a field goal. But the Hawkeyes returned the kickoff about 45 yards. Iowa would kick a long field goal on the last play of the game to defeat San Diego State 39-38. Definitely one of the most exciting games I have attended. San Diego State playing on their own home field in front of their hometown fans made it even more exciting. It was all great until the last play of the game.

60,000 to 20,000 fans is one big difference. The Rose Bowl is huge and when I lived outside of Detroit I probably was at 12-13 games at The Big House. Over 100,000 fans, quite a good time. Still I go to local High School games and enjoy that as well. Sounds like a great experience in San Diego.

 

[normalbird]

at some point back in 2015, I was thinking closer to 4,500 in Frisco Natty .. which would have been very close to the UNI playoff game .. I mean, very close. Some thought UNI fans had close to 800+ of the 5,575. Which is amazing to think those 2 ISU fan counts would be close. I mean, we were a 5 seed, ranked top 10 most of the latter half of season.

On a related note, I was at all 4 playoff games. We had weak showings at EWU and UNH road games. Then just surprised everyone, including NDSU fans with our showing at Frisco. And I recall a very emotional Spack when they did the bus walk to stadium .. he was overwhelmed with the showing. I won't say tears, but let's just agree his allergies were off the charts just during that walk up.

ISU did themselves proud that day. Lots of former players, diehards from BN, alums from DFW and Houston. It was well done by admin. Let’s do it again next season!

 

[DaveBird10]

Give me an FCS National Championship over a lower tier bowl any day of the week. The format currently with the transfer portal and the 4 team FBS playoff doesn't do it for me. Anyone watch UNC without Drake Maye or USC without Caleb Williams last night? Everyone watches the big bowl games on New Years Day but the lower tier bowl games with players sitting out and hitting the transfer portal is nothing. I am sure the Rose Bowl in the 70s and 80s was a fantastic atmosphere but again with the current system nobody cares about the lower tier bowls that ISU would be in.

-Myrtle Beach Bowl- Ohio vs Georgia Southern had 8,059 people, down from a record crowd of 12,023
- App State vs Miami Ohio in the Avocados New Mexico bowl- 11, 121
-Jacksonville State vs Louisiana in the RL Carriers New Orleans bowl- 14, 585

Your die hard fans and season ticket holders would attend this game but that's it. Same goes for a MAC game on a Tuesday night, the die hard fans and season ticket holders would go and that be it. The other fact remains that these 6 teams just get to play for that bowl and that's it without a shot at a National Title. What made Frisco more exciting to rush to Frisco was the FCS playoff system and the fact that we won 2 road games in exciting fashion on tv to get to Frisco. I get the allure of the New Years bowl games but that's not happening at ISU or a team in the G5, the fun of a lower tier bowl might be exciting in 1 year but that would go down with every year. Give me an FCS playoff system over the Camelia Bowl with an attendance of 11,310 any day. You probably didn't watch that game this year and probably won't in the future even if ISU was in it.

 

[fourthandshort]

I'll take that bet. Alabama and many other FBS teams play an FCS game. Why would they change when it becomes easier to make the playoffs?

Agreed, especially for any team in the hunt for top 12 .. most already play a tough schedule. It's the G5 teams or weak P5 conferences that have to worry about playing a weak SOS .. though Big 10 does have a weakish west division, it's still reasonably tough SOS. Bottom line, most every strong program schedules a buy game/patsy ... it makes sense.

 

[isuquinndog]

I also like playing in a division where the NCAA actually recognizes the champion. NCAA doesn't name a champion in FBS football.

 

[fourthandshort]

I've done a few early round games in the DIII playoffs, but never the championship/Stagg Bowl. Currently 28 auto bids to conference champs and only 4 at large bids. Makes for some truly bad first round matchups from weak champs (this year 65-0, 56-14, 62-7 in first round, there was 46-0 and 71-18 second round this year). The "crap shoot" of FCS at-large bids can seem arbitrary, but there's more room for decent non-champs to get a shot. St. John's travels very well, so the visitors side in a stadium seating 5-6000 can fill up pretty nicely. Whitewater seats 12K or so, but only a couple thousand on the visitors side. Whatever, college playoffs are fun.

D-III would be near impossible to get bids right ... just too many schools who play teams within a very limited radius.

Looked it up ... per Massey, they show 240 football programs and 420 basketball programs. But I think there's more than that ?

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

60,000 to 20,000 fans is one big difference. The Rose Bowl is huge and when I lived outside of Detroit I probably was at 12-13 games at The Big House. Over 100,000 fans, quite a good time. Still I go to local High School games and enjoy that as well. Sounds like a great experience in San Diego.

I now live in Rochester, so High School games are enjoyable for me. Being a Redbird and White Sox fan at least I have one team to follow that knows how to win. Not winning an IHSA State Championship is a disappointing season to them. Since 2010 I believe North Dakota State and Rochester have each won nine Championships. Hopefully someday the Redbirds (basketball & football) and White Sox can get back to at least competing for championships. Until then, well it’s Rocket Football.

 

[Aggie]

I kind of get the all sports thing. But, college football followed by college basketball (men,s) are the sports. Yes, people can argue women’s volleyball or women’s basketball, but overall butts in seats, TV eyeballs, gambling revenues(yes that’s a component) it is football and men’s basketball. That is the measuring stick. Unfortunately the getting close to 30 drought in men’s basketball not dancing that really hurts. I will agree with a previous statement ISU is not jumping up in football. Unless someone writes a multi multi millions of dollars check.

 

[fourthandshort]

I kind of get the all sports thing. But, college football followed by college basketball (men,s) are the sports. Yes, people can argue women’s volleyball or women’s basketball, but overall butts in seats, TV eyeballs, gambling revenues(yes that’s a component) it is football and men’s basketball. That is the measuring stick. Unfortunately the getting close to 30 drought in men’s basketball not dancing that really hurts. I will agree with a previous statement ISU is not jumping up in football. Unless someone writes a multi multi millions of dollars check.

Agree college sports programs lead with football and basketball. But the All Sports results was mentioned as counter-response to OP reference to ISU sports admin dept's "continued ongoing gradual erosion of the entire athletic program". As much as I wish we put more resources into our football and made playoffs more often, I'm kind of proud that ISU win the All Sport MVC award and place value on "all sports" as a college institution trying to attract HS students, etc.

 

[Aggie]

Agree college sports programs lead with football and basketball. But the All Sports results was mentioned as counter-response to OP reference to ISU sports admin dept's "continued ongoing gradual erosion of the entire athletic program". As much as I wish we put more resources into our football and made playoffs more often, I'm kind of proud that ISU win the All Sport MVC award and place value on "all sports" as a college institution trying to attract HS students, etc.

Not disagreeing with the All Sports Award being something to be proud of. My main point is if one wants to be taken seriously as an elite mid major program ISU has to dance regularly and make the football playoffs every year. With all we have to offer ISU should be able to get closer to the elite status.

 

[cpacmel]

ISU is in the market for a QB. Morrissey has been around the MVFC block. Played HS at Montini Catholic. JUCO All-American at Trinity Valley. Transferred to UNI and was QB #3 behind Theo Day and Will McElvain in 2021, QB #2 (or 3) behind Theo Day in 2022. Transferred to WIU and was HM all-MVFC. He is a pocket passer - he finished with a net of -192 yards rushing. His career long rush? 13 yards vs Illinois State. Passing the ball, he had 2,014 yards on a 61.1% completion percentage in addition to 13 TD and 7 INT. He has 1 year of eligbility

 

[CaliRdBrd]

I don’t have ESPN+. Can someone let me know if ISU made the top ten…